Jeff Collins would consider joining Mills, Lambley and Guyula

NEWLY-Independent MLA Jeff Collins has left the door open to joining forces with former chief minister Terry Mills, Robyn Lambley and Yingiya Mark Guyula

Ex-Labor MLA Jeff Collins met with Terry Mills on Friday, just hours before he resigned from Territory Labor Party. Picture: Justin Kennedy

NEWLY-Independent MLA Jeff Collins has left the door open to joining forces with former chief minister Terry Mills.

Mr Collins met with Mr Mills on Friday, just hours before he resigned from Territory Labor.

“Terry and I have polar opposite views on certain things but when it comes to things like the economy and developing the Territory we’re pretty close,” Mr Collins said.

“I believe in a strong independent Territory economy that provides jobs for Territorians and provides for our economic future so that we don’t have to worry about hand-outs.”

Mr Mills last week signed a formal alliance with fellow independents Robyn Lambley and Yingiya Mark Guyula. The trio now believe they have a claim to form opposition.

Asked if he would consider joining the alliance, Mr Collins said: “If I think what’s being proposed is positive for the future of the Territory and will achieve its goals, I’m happy to have a look at it.”

Mr Collins, Stuart MLA Scott McConnell and Johnston MLA and former resources minister Ken Vowles were expelled from the Labor caucus in the week before Christmas.

Mr Collins resigned from the Labor Party last Friday after he was kicked off two parliamentary committees and told he would have to vote in line with the Government in the house, even though he would have no say on the legislation he was voting on.

“I’d effectively been banished from every avenue of access to the Government and to my former colleagues, I had no ability to raise any issues in any forum, even in parliament, I wasn’t allowed to ask questions of the Government unless the Government allowed me to ask the questions,” he said.

He said politics in the NT was broken and a new way forward was needed.

“What we have is the Labor Party who is obsessed with control on one side, the CLP who are obsessed with control on the other side, neither of them are open or consultative,” he said.

“I can’t see either of them being a good option for the Territory long-term so I do agree that we need a form of government where there actually is some proper consultation, some proper input and looking at issues across the spectrum.”